


Say that again

by SpeccysCat (LazuliAlekto)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Curtains? who?, Fix It, Friends to Lovers, Gay Disaster Shiro (Voltron), M/M, Pining Shiro (Voltron), S8 don't know it, except Honerva
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-08 07:04:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17381936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LazuliAlekto/pseuds/SpeccysCat
Summary: Shiro.exe has stopped working.He spluttered, eyes wide, mouth open, most likely looking completely foolish, but he just.  Can’t.  Stop.“Keith, it’s so good to see you.”He wanted to slap himself.That!  That’s what he managed to say?





	Say that again

  

  Shiro.exe has stopped working.

  He spluttered, eyes wide, mouth open, most likely looking completely foolish, but he just.  Can’t.  Stop.

  “Keith, it’s so good to see you.”

  He wanted to slap himself.

  That!   _That’s_  what he managed to say?

  As Lance started babbling something about Keith being bigger and…well, whatever else, Shiro shook his head to try and clear it.  Keith __was__ bigger and taller and…woah.  He can’t even process the fact that’s there’s an Altean and a female Galra and a great big blue wolf with him because he was far too focused on the fact that Keith is filling out his Blade uniform __so__  much more than he did the last time he saw him.  He’s filling it out really well if Shiro’s completely honest with himself.  When he does manage to tear his eyes away from Keith, he looked over at the Galra with him.

  What the actual fuck?

  He flicked his eyes between Keith and the female Galra, blinking to try and start his brain working.  If Keith were fully Galra and female, he’s pretty sure that’s what he’d look like, which makes sense to his overheated brain a few minutes later when Keith introduced her as his mother.  Krolia.

  She’d thanked him for helping to raise Keith to be the man he is and all Shiro can think is _yeah, and what a man _.__

  Everything kind of went to shit after that.

  Romelle told her story, shattering the fragile trust they had in Lotor.  Shiro’s traitorous eyes kept sweeping over Keith the whole time.

  Not the time to become a complete gay disaster.

  Things went from kind of going to shit to a total clusterfuck.

  In the back of his head the _real_ Shiro screams and rants in frustration and pain at what the clone is saying.  What’s he’s saying to Keith.  What he’s doing to Keith.

  The real Shiro broke through for just a fraction of a second, Keith taking advantage of the situation to sever the connection.  Sever the Galran arm from the clone’s body.

  

  Waking up in a body not his own, but _his_ still was…confusing wasn’t even a term that came close.  And having the clone’s memories and feelings embedded and entwining with his own only made things worse.  There had already been a burgeoning _something_ between himself and Keith.  And now it was…more.

  Every time he looked at Keith he was reminded what the clone had tried to do.  He knew it hadn’t been him, the real him, that had done it, but he could feel the weight of the clone’s guilt heavy in his mind and heart.

  So he flew with Pidge.

  He had to sort things out in his head and being around Keith wasn’t helping.  All he wanted to do was sink to his knees and beg forgiveness.  

  Or kiss him.

  Or both.

  Both worked for his frazzled brain.

  Pidge hadn’t said much when he requested the change, but he did get one of her more scathing eye rolls.  It was added to the hurt look Keith had given him when Shiro announced he’d be flying with Pidge for a while.  But Keith hadn’t objected, hadn’t said anything, letting Shiro leave, sad purple eyes cast down.

  He felt so unbalanced, not just because of the lack of his arm.  Keith’s confessions to the clone kept echoing in his head.  And destroying any romantic hopes he’d had.

  “ _You’re my brother._ ”

  Maybe Shiro had felt that way when he had been mentoring Keith at the Garrison before…everything.  But he didn’t feel that way now.

  He _really_ didn’t feel that way.

  And it was distracting.

  Thoughts of Keith echoed with his heart beat, utterly consuming.

  He kept telling himself he would talk to Keith properly, explain himself and how he felt and pray that Keith would be alright with it.  Arriving back on Earth put paid to that idea.  They just didn’t have the time.  Sendak’s occupation of the planet and the subsequent liberation had been foremost in everyone’s minds.  Then the Altena Robeast and Keith almost fucking dying with the other Paladins had Shiro mired in helpless frustration.

  Add that to the fact that he now captained a massive sentient robot ship of his own.

  Complicated didn’t cover it.

  He felt adrift, like he was outside his own body watching him pull away from the Paladins, pull away from Keith and it felt…so fucking wrong.

  Until Honerva.

  They’d all faced her, watched her try to destroy every reality to deal with the pain she felt.  But when Allura stepped forward, offered to sacrifice herself, Shiro had snapped back to himself.

  No.  He wasn’t going to let that happen.  She was their heart, the heart of Voltron.  And while Shiro wasn’t exactly part of their team any more, he couldn’t stand idly by and watch her walk away.  He’d glanced at Keith, seeing the pain he felt reflected in his eyes and they both stepped forward with Allura.  Lance had joined them immediately, followed by Hunk and Pidge.

  Their united front affected Honerva as their words hadn’t and she held her hand up to Allura, shaking her head.

  “Do what I couldn’t, live as I couldn’t.  Find strength in your love and pain.”  The witch smiled at them gently, then looked to where the Paladins of old, her beloved Zarkon and her son, Lotor waited patiently.  Turning back to Allura one last time, “I will fix this.  I caused it, it’s only fitting.”

  “You will destroy yourself,” Allura whispered.

  Honerva nodded, “I will, but I can die knowing I put things right.”  She sighed, looking at Zarkon and Lotor, “I got to see my son and husband smile.”

  Everything went white and Shiro was back on the Atlas, the Lions floating around the ship.

  He breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the Paladins speaking through the comms, Pidge assuring them they were back and in their reality.  And Allura was safe.

  But when Shiro heard Keith’s voice, he collapsed onto his knees.

  “Keith?”

  “Shiro, you’re ok?” Keith asked, voice sounding rough.

  “Yeah, yeah I am,” he answered, small smile twisting his lips.  “We did it.”

  Keith laughed, the other Paladins joining in, joyous and raucous as ever.

  “Permission to come aboard?” Keith asked.

  Shiro snorted, “you better.”  He left the bridge, shouting to Coran to join him, leaving Iverson in charge as he ran down the halls to the loading bay where the Lions would settle.  Coran followed, hot on his heels, eager to see the woman he considered his daughter, Shiro more than eager to see Keith.

  He waited impatiently as Black leaned down, opening her mouth to let Keith disembark.

  “Keith!” Shiro shouted, running to greet him, sweeping him into a bear hug that knocked the air from the Black Paladin’s lungs.  And then Keith was clinging to him just as fiercely.  Shiro had no idea he was crying until Keith wiped at his cheeks, cupping his face, eyes searching.

  “Shiro?”

  All Shiro could manage to do was hold him tighter, whispering his name.  “Keith, oh my god, you’re really ok?”

  Keith huffed a laugh, “yeah, I’m ok, are you?”

  Shiro choked, “no, probably not, I was…I…”  He took a deep breath thinking _fuck it._  He was either going to do or say the stupidest thing ever, or it was going to be the best decision of his life.  Dipping his head down, his lips close to Keith’s ear, “I love you.”

  Keith stiffened and Shiro stuttered out an apology, trying to explain himself, only to be silenced by a pair of wide incredulous eyes meeting his own.

  “Say that again,” Keith demanded fiercely.

  Shiro swallowed around the lump in his throat.  “I love you, Keith.”

  Keith’s face stayed blank, shock making him grip at Shiro’s uniform, bunching the fabric in his fists.  “What do you mean by that?” he asked quietly after a few moments.

  Shiro did the only thing he could think to do to show Keith exactly what he meant, crushing their mouths together, heedless of any thing and every one around them.  Keith’s mouth opened in a gasp and Shiro swept his tongue over his lip.

  Then it was Shiro’s turn to gasp as Keith pushed him back against the Black Lion’s paw and ravaged his mouth, thrusting his tongue against Shiro’s.

  They pulled apart to pant, Shiro winding his fingers around Keith’s pony tail, Keith curling his hands around Shiro’s neck before they crashed together again, Keith pressing against him.

  The sound of cheering was a dull background rumble, a counter to the low moan Keith gave when Shiro nudged his knee between Keith’s thighs.  They clutched at each other, frantic to get as close as possible, affirm how they felt, affirm they were both alive.  Shiro groaned into Keith’s mouth as the Black Paladin ground against his thigh.

  Panting, Shiro pulled away to take in Keith, eyes wide and dark, lips slick and parted, a flush to his cheeks.

  Beautiful.

  Around them an impromptu party had begun, but Shiro couldn’t have cared less.

  He tucked his hand into Keith’s trying to sneak them out when they were waylaid by the Paladins, MFE pilots, Iverson, Sam Holt, Colleen and several of Shiro’s bridge crew who were all determined to grab hold of him and make him join the celebrations.

  “No, nope, not doing that,” Shiro shouted, tugging Keith after him and headed to his quarters.  He was a man on a mission.  Keith ran behind him, laughing.  Dimly, Shiro registered Pidge shouting ‘finally!’ at their retreating backs.

  They’d celebrate with the crew later, right now he was desperate to be alone with Keith and only Keith.

  And from the way Keith kissed him when they finally had privacy, he was feeling the same way.

  


End file.
